We’ve Got High Hopes

Tourism Industry Expresses it Hopes for Decisive Action From Mari Elka Pangestu as Indonesia’s New Minister of Tourism and the Creative Economy

(10/21/2011) Bisnis.com reports that members of Bali’s tourism industry are expressing the hope that the newly appointed Minister of Tourism and the Creative Economy, Mari Elka Pangestu, to waste no time in becoming acclimated with her new working environment and immediately implement positive and concrete steps in the tourism sector.

Industry leaders have called on Pangestu to “step on the gas” and get on with her new job. Rudiana, vice-chairman of the Bali Chapter of the Association of Indonesian Travel Agents (ASITA), told the press that in terms of synergy and leadership he gave Pangestu an edge over her predecessor Jero Wacik.

Bali tourism stakeholders are awaiting Pangestu to announce the 100-day program of her new administration to advance tourism and the creative economy. “We hope Ibu Mari will meet soon with stakeholders to decide what problems must be resolved in order to achieve the 7.7 million foreign tourists targeted to visit Indonesian in 2011,” said Iqbal Allan Abdulla, the chairman of the Indonesian Conference and Convention Association (INCCA).

Both Rudiana and Iqbal said the appointment of Pangestu and Sapta Nirwandar as her vice-minister promises a “fresh breeze” for the development of national tourism.

Said Rudiana: "Pak Sapta is a bureaucrat who clearly understands the business environment and entrepreneurship demanded by his ministry. Because of this, we hope Mari Pangestu will take immediate action, in other words, ‘step on the gas.’”

Iqbal declared that the new area of responsibility of the creative economy within the new ministry must also include the meeting, incentive, conference and exhibition (MICE) sector which includes the transaction of a variety of events. “If we share the same understanding of the creative economy, all that remains is for us to do is establish targets for MICE visitors,” explained Rudiana.

Rudiana said there’s a need to improve the infrastructure to create a nurturing environment for the MICE market sector.